A Chance of Fate
by Faith.Hope.Trust
Summary: Hermione goes for a BS in Boston where her past catches up with her. Our favorite pair of brothers rescues her and they're in over their head before they realize it. Rated M for language, violence, and explicitness. ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
1. A Goodbye

**AN: **I own nothing :) I'm making no profits and I'm doing this purely for my enjoyment!

_Send away for a priceless gift  
One not subtle, one not on the list  
Send away for a perfect world_

"45" by Shinedown

Flying was never a fun task, but all the added security made flying such a hassle. Hermione Granger was not pleased that she would have to sit for three hours in an Airport Terminal just because there was a chance that security would be hell to get through. Accompanying her to the airport were her two best friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. They each had two large suitcases wheeling behind them while Hermione carried a small carry-on bag containing her essentials for clothing. The two suitcases were filled with her books, notes, research, and whatever liquids and gels she couldn't carry onto the plane.

"Jeeze Hermione, did you bring enough books?" Ron asked as he pulled the heavy suitcase along. He knew the answer of course, so Hermione didn't feel the need to answer him.

"Boys, please try not to get in serious trouble? I'll be back for the Hols so don't get too worried if I don't write so often. You've both got my address, phone numbers, and where I'm staying at right?" she asked, pleased when both boys nodded in the affirmative. "Good." They dropped off Hermione's bags to be checked and then walked her to Airport Security.

"We'll miss you Mione," Harry whispered as he hugged her tightly. He smiled as he let go and Ron hugged her.

"I know you will, boys, but this is a once and a lifetime opportunity! You guys should see if you can come and visit me if Kingsley will give you the vacation," she reminded the two young Aurors. They would start their training next week, though it was informal training considering they had defeated Voldemort.

They both grinned before hugging her one last time. "Bye Mione!" they said in unison before walking back towards the alley they Apparated from while Hermione entered the long line through security.

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"Finally," Hermione muttered to herself as she plopped down into one of the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area. She rummaged around in her travel bag for a granola bar and a worn copy of A Witch's Guide to Boston. She was eager to start her study program at Northeastern University as a transfer student working towards a BS in Biochemistry and a BS in Chemistry. Her aptitude for Potions and her thirst for knowledge led her to researching, applying, and ultimately accepting the chance to gain a bachelor's degree of science in a comparable field. Many of her professors thought it a waste of her time and talent, but she was adamant about it. Her most admirable supporter was Severus Snape, who argued that she could only be more valuable to the wizarding community if she could infuse both muggle and wizard theories.

Hermione was rather sad that Severus hadn't said goodbye at all, but she consoled herself in knowing that he was a very private person who probably wasn't very good at communicating. She pushed the thought away and opened her book to the information about college life. Surprisingly, she found a short note written on a scrap of paper stuck between the pages.

_Ms. Granger,_

_Best of luck in your studies. _

_S.S._

She smiled and placed it in the back of the book to use as a bookmark. In the hour and a half that passed before boarding was called, Hermione finished familiarizing herself with the campus. Once she was seated comfortably on the plane, she slept peacefully for the eight hour flight.

The landing was only slightly rough, and it was remarkably tougher to drag both of her suitcases to the curb where she waited in the taxi line. It took mere minutes to heft her suitcases into the trunk and she politely asked the driver to take her to Northeastern University.

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**AN: So, this is just the first bit...I'll update by Friday I believe :) Hope you enjoy it!**


	2. Meeting the Guys

**Author's Note: **I don't own anything :) Thanks for the reviews! I hope you guys like this second part. Hopefully *crosses fingers* I'll have the next chapter up within the next 7 days.

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_I'm not afraid of anything  
Be it mountains, water, dragons, dark or sky  
I'm not afraid of anything  
Tell me where's the challenge if you never try  
So watch me fly  
I'm not afraid_

"I'm Not Afraid of Anything" by Andrea Burns

Hermione made her way into the building that would serve as her dorm. She was lucky enough to get a suite-style room thanks to her scholarships and the pull that Headmaster Dumbledore seemed to have with the University.

After showing her ID to the security guard, she wheeled herself into the elevator corridor and waited for one. Another young woman appeared next to Hermione.

"Moving in?" the blonde asked.

"Yes. Do you dorm here?" Hermione asked. "I'm Hermione, by the way."

The other girl smiled. "I'm Tracy. I'm up on the sixth floor. My roomie is supposed to get here today. She's a transfer student going for a double science degree for some insane reason. She's probably some snotty rich kid who's had her nose in books all her life," Tracy rambled chuckling slightly.

"Actually," Hermione said with a grin, "That sounds a lot like me." She held out her room assignment form to Tracy to inspect and the blonde had the grace to blush.

"I'm so sorry Hermione! It's just, I mean…chemistry is really hard all by itself and you want to do a biochemistry major on top of that? That's crazy!"

Hermione chuckled. "Don't worry about it. My friends said the exact same thing when I told them. Thankfully I had a really great chemistry teacher who pushed everyone into agreeing that it would be a good experience for me."

"Gotcha. Well, let me help you then," Tracy replied, grabbing one of Hermione's suitcases. "Once we get you settled I'll introduce you to the gang that'll be on the same floor as us. We're also going to head to our local spot to grab a bite to eat and a drink. Want to come?" Tracy hoped that Hermione would join them.

"Sure, I'll come," she replied, as an elevator opened and they rode it up to the sixth floor. "Where are you guys going?" Hermione asked as they walked to their room.

"It's this local place called McGuinty's. We know the guys who took over it and we usually eat there before the bar opens on the first day we're all back at school," Tracy explained as she pushed open the door. She automatically hefted Hermione's suitcase on the unmade bed and flicked her iPod on. "I'll just chill here until you're ready. If you need any help, just ask," Tracy added with a smile as she sat herself down in front of her computer.

Hermione nodded and hefted the suitcase she was carrying onto the bed as well. She decided to start with her clothes, all of which were a generous gift from Harry after he heard her lamenting the fact that she wouldn't have any professional style clothes after the fees for classes, books, and supplies. Praising whomever invented the bottomless bag, she began sorting her clothes out into the various drawers that she was supplied with. All of her professional clothing was hung up in the armoire and with a flick of her wrist, all of the clothes were free of any wrinkles they might have accumulated over the flight. Finally, she took out a still-photo of herself, Ron, and Harry on their graduation day. That frame was placed on top of the bureau and Hermione reinforced the Unbreakable Charm already on it.

Satisfied, Hermione began to sort through her books. Everything that was remotely magical in nature stayed in one of the suitcases and tucked safely under her bed with a Muggle Repelling Charm. The rest of her books were organized and put on the shelves above her desk once she reinforced them with a Strengthening Charm and added a Feather Light Charm to her books. Hermione then set out all of her school supplies and plugged in her new laptop, a present from her parents. Next, of course, was the bed. She thanked Dobby silently as she nimbly made her bed. During her third year, she had frequently been present when an elf was making her bed. Since none of them wished to be seen, Dobby took to making her bed. Hermione had asked him once to teach her how to do it, and from then on she had helped him make her bed.

After surveying the room she smiled contentedly. "I'm kind of hungry," she pronounced, plopping down next to Tracy, whose response was to grin and start turning off all of her electronics.

"Perfect timing m'dear! I've just checked in with the gang and they're on their way to McGuinty's. We'll meet them there then," Tracy replied as she shut her laptop and grabbed a beige sweater to cover her gray t-shirt that said _Kiss Me I'm Irish_ with a shamrock in the middle.

The two of them made their way out of the building and into the streets of South Boston. Tracy led the way easily and Hermione followed dutifully. As they walked, Tracy gave Hermione all the inside information about the various professors and how to get around some of the ___bureaucracy_in the university. It took mere minutes until Tracy was holding open a door to a somewhat dingy looking bar. Hermione shrugged and walked inside with Tracy following, a little bell going off to signal that there were customers.

"We're fuckin' closed!" two unanimous voices shouted from what seemed to be the back room.

Tracy grinned and replied, "Shut the fuck up!" She then led Hermione to one the bar and walked around it. "Want anything to drink?" she asked.

"Coke, if you don't mind?" Hermione replied questioningly. Tracy nodded and expertly had a coke sitting in front of Hermione in just a few minutes. She was about to reply when the door chimed again, this time admitting two girls and two boys. Tracy waved in greeting and set about getting their drinks.

"Hermione, this is Patty and Peggy. Those two oafs are their boyfriends, Mikey and Jimmy respectively. And the two Irish lads you heard before would be Connor and Murphy. Guys, this here is Hermione and she's my new roomie," Tracy informed them all, easily introducing everyone to each other.

"Hey," the redhead said to Hermione. Tracy had introduced the freckled beauty as Peggy and Hermione could tell that most of her family was probably Irish. The brunette then was Patty. Both girls wore jeans, sneakers, and a plain t-shirt. Their boyfriends were identical in every way except their eyes. Both boys were muscular in build, tall, and both had short brown hair. Mikey's eyes were a bright, clear blue color while Jimmy's eyes were deep emerald green.

"Nice to meet you guys," Hermione said enthusiastically. The girls took seats next to Hermione while the boys set up the pool table.

"Yo, Murph! Conn! You guys going to play?" Jimmy called out.

"O' course we'll be playin ye. Keep yer pants on!" a tall, slim, muscled young man replied walking into the main bar area. "Got your money to lose?" he asked, running a hand through his short dirty blond hair. He had immediately caught Hermione's eye because of his interesting tattoos as well as his rosary hidden under his black cotton tee. He winked at Hermione before calling out, "Murph, move yer ass!"

"I'm coming you fuck head," his brother replied, a brunette with much of the same build as his brother. He had equally interesting tattoos and a rosary hiding under his shirt just like his brother. Murphy stopped short when he saw Hermione and looked at her oddly. "Who's this lass?" he asked.

"The _lass_ has a name, and that name would be Hermione," Hermione replied as she smoothly stood up and crossed to stand in front of Murphy. "I'm Tracy's new suite-mate over at Northeastern. Any other questions?" she asked in her best imitation of Professor Snape.

"Not at all lass," he replied with a wink before joining his brother and the two boys. Hermione rolled her eyes and took her seat, noticing the odd looks that the other girls were giving her.

"What?" she asked. Both Patty and Peggy shook their heads.

Tracy, however, responded by saying "I've never seen anyone stand up to Murphy that way and get away with it. I'd watch it if I were you." Hermione just grinned. She had faced worse than Murphy McManus and lived to tell the tale. She wasn't worried.


	3. First Impressions

**A/N**: So...I got inspired while taking my TWO HOUR BREAK between classes -.-' Any of you taking classes at a Community College -- Try not to take classes with more than a few hours apart. It's a bloody nightmare. Anyway!! I don't own anything as always :) I hope you enjoy, even though it's a little short I thought it would work. Please Review!!!

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_Nobody goes through this life and does  
Everything perfectly  
We're all gonna fail so you might as well  
Make a mistake with me_

"Make A Mistake" by Brad Paisley

The girls enjoyed a little chat after Tracy cooked them some hamburgers. The boys played three games of pool. Murphy and Connor won all three times. Around 8pm, the boys set their game aside and started opening up the bar. Tracy started filling up little containers of lemon slices, lime slices, orange slices, and cherries. Peggy and Patty took wet cloths and started wiping down all the tables and the bar area while Jimmy and Mikey went in back to start hauling glasses into the main area.

"Anything I can do?" Hermione asked after glancing around.

"Not really," Tracy replied. "We're a well oiled machine. Why don't you head in back and see if there are any glasses that need to be wiped off or washed? That is, if you don't mind?"

Hermione nodded and stood. "Not a problem," she replied with a smile. She headed off to where she had seen Jimmy and Mikey retrieving the glasses from. She ended up in a small kitchen type area that was mostly sinks and large industrial sized dishwashers. Seeing a crate of sticky glasses next to one of the sinks, Hermione pushed her sleeves up and began washing them by hand. She found a rag and soap right next to the faucet and the water was warmer than she expected.

"Hey Connor! Yer lass can wash as well as she can talk back to ya," Murphy yelled to his brother after walking into the kitchen area and spotting Hermione.

"Oh shut it," Hermione replied, staying focused on the glasses. It would have been quicker to do it with magic, but that would raise some unanswerable questions and Hermione didn't mind the therapeutic nature of washing things by hand.

Connor poked his head in over his brother's shoulder and grinned. "We should hire her, Murph. She can cut the cost of the dishwashers," the Irishman joked. The only response he got was a glare from Hermione. Seeing that he wasn't getting a rise out of her, he turned to Murphy. "We gotta get going if we want to meet up with Da before Tracy needs us here."

"See ya later, Lassie," Murphy said before turning his back to her. _That was a mistake,_ Hermione thought as she soaked the rag and threw it right at Murphy's head. Of course, she had gotten help with a simple levitating spell so that she wouldn't miss. Murphy didn't seem to notice that as he froze, soapy water running down his back.

"Don't call me _Lassie_," Hermione snapped, facing both boys now. Connor was laughing at his brother and Murphy looked rather angry. _Not unlike how Professor Snape reacts_, Hermione thought to herself. She grinned at the thought. Her former professor would have complimented her on her Slytherin-style tactics.

In a split second, Murphy had Hermione pinned against the sink. "I suggest, _Lass_, that ye get over whatever yer fuckin' problem is. We don't tolerate that shit here," Murphy hissed into her ear. Hermione shivered against his body and did her best to keep her face neutral.

"Murph," Connor said quietly, but firmly.

"I'm comin'," Murphy replied. "We can continue this later." With that, he let her go and followed his brother without a word out of the back room. Shortly after, Hermione heard the bell ring over the door, signaling that they had left. She let a breath out that she hadn't been aware she was holding.

Tracy peeped into the kitchen at that moment with an inquisitive look on her face. "Don't ask," Hermione said, waving her new friend off. Tracy shrugged and went back into the front. Mikey came back a second later to carry out the container of glasses Hermione had cleaned. While his back was turned, Hermione cast a quick Drying Charm on the glasses.

Once back in the front of the bar, Hermione noticed people had started trickling in. Feeling uncomfortable and out of place, Hermione signaled to Tracy that she was heading out. Tracy nodded and went back to handing out drinks.

Stepping out into the crisp autumn air refreshed Hermione. She walked slowly towards Northeastern, contemplating what had just happened. How had she let herself talk to a person she had just met like that? Shame burned through her. Her pace quickened as she was eager to get back to her dorm room. In order to make it up to Murphy, she was going to do her best to help reduce some of the chores around McGuinty's with the help of some magic. She needed the right charms though, which would require some research.

With her mind made up, Hermione made it to the dorm fairly quickly and set herself on her laptop. The Ministry of Magic had, under the direction of Arthur Weasley, started to integrate more Muggle technology like phones and the internet. There was now a database to search for helpful and harmless charms that Hermione herself had helped create along with a few others selected by Professor Flitwick.


	4. Blessing of God

**A/N:** I don't own anything : ) My muse has apparently been at an all-time influence at the moment. Enjoy it while it lasts! Rate and Reviews are always appreciated!

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_Bail ó Dhia ort_  
Meaning "The blessing of God on you"

Hermione had spent the better part of her evening making a list of all the charms that would be helpful around the bar. Her notepad held a feverish amount of writing that would be indecipherable to anyone who wasn't accustomed to her writing. It was at that moment that the room phone started to ring.

"Hello?" she said, picking up the receiver.

"Hermione? It's Tracy. I need you to come down to the bar as soon as possible. Stop first and get rubbing alcohol, bandages, and any other medical supplies that look promising. Please hurry!" Tracy's voice was urgent and sketchy, almost as if she was watching something awful. Worried, Hermione hung up the phone and grabbed her wallet. She ran out the door and hustled down the stairs.

Thankfully there was a Rite Aid right on the way to McGuinty's, and Hermione took a minute to calm herself before walking inside the store. She grabbed a basket and headed towards the first aid aisle. Rubbing alcohol went into the basket next to sterile pads, gloves, bandages, gauze, tape, and a variety of braces, as well as some anti-infection gel. She also grabbed saltine crackers and a bottle of ginger ale. The cashier gave her a rather odd look but Hermione was able to pay and leave without a problem.

Hermione hurried towards the bar, mentally reviewing every healing spell that she knew. She burst into the bar and found it empty. "Tracy?" she called frantically. She heard a loud thump in the back, followed by a muffled groan. Quickly, she headed into the kitchen and let out a startled gasp.

The scene in front of her was tinged in the bright red color of blood. Bloody footsteps led from the side entrance to the kitchen to the center island where Murphy was currently being held down by an older man and his brother, while Tracy was frantically trying to stop the bleeding from a wound on his side.

After taking a deep breath, Hermione moved forward. She pulled over a stool and set all of the medical supplies on it. Pulling on a pair of gloves, she pulled out some gauze pads and motioned for Tracy to step aside and wash her hands. She looked apologetically at Murphy before pressing against the wound that appeared, from the quick glance Hermione had of it, to be from a bullet grazing his side. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on helping the man in front of her.

"Tracy, give me the rubbing alcohol and fresh gauze pads," Hermione commanded, which seemed to snap Tracy awake. Her new found friend handed her the items she asked for and stood a bit off to the side. Hermione offered her an encouraging smile before slowly peeling off the gauze between Murphy's body and her hand. The blood flow had stopped for the most part and Hermione could see that the blood was starting to clot. She traded with Tracy and poured some rubbing alcohol onto the clean gauze pads. "This is going to sting," Hermione warned Murphy, before gently pressing the pad against the wound. All he did was hiss.

Taking this as a good sign, Hermione began to clean the edges of the wound and the dried blood on his skin. She could tell that he was hurting, but she knew this would help him. She motioned for Tracy to bring the supplies over to her.

"Thanks," Hermione said, before taking the antiseptic and applying it liberally to a large bandage. She placed the bandage against Murphy's wound and held it. "Tracy, can you hold this for me?" she asked, moving to let Tracy take her place.

"I'm going to wrap your whole stomach so that the bandage stays in place," Hermione explained. She took the gauze roll and started it where Tracy was holding the bandage. Slowly, she began to wrap the gauze around his stomach, which required her to be particularly close to his bare skin. Pushing the uncomfortable feelings away, she finished wrapping his bandages and taped the bandages shut.

Satisfied with her work, she looked around the room at each person. "Anyone else needs a patch job?" she asked, somewhat warily. Both Connor and the elderly man shook their heads no, and Tracy just gave her a slightly amused look. "Good." She walked out to the bar and took a seat.

There was some bustling going on in the back, but Hermione wasn't interested in it. Instead, she chose to rest her head on the bar top. A few minutes later, hesitant footsteps were walking towards her. A hand softly rested itself on her shoulder.

"Thanks," a hoarse voice said, in a tone that sounded pained. Hermione had heard that kind of voice before and it brought her back to her NEWT level Potions class. Professor Snape had sounded that way the day after he'd come back from Voldemort's side. Defeated and in pain, though Professor Snape did his best to hide it. He certainly never commented on the fact that he would always find vials of complicated healing potions on his desk at the end of the period labeled with her handwriting.

Shaking her head in order to put herself more firmly into the present, Hermione looked up and found herself caught in Murphy's deep brown eyes. "It's ah…not a problem," she replied hesitantly. Murphy cocked an eyebrow and came to sit next to her.

"It looked like you've got experience bandaging people up," he commented lightly, though Hermione knew he was probably looking for information along with the rest of the people in the back room. _I guess he drew the short straw,_ Hermione thought to herself.

She shrugged noncommittally. "Who was the old guy?" she asked instead.

Murphy chuckled. "That would be Da, and I'd advise ye to not call him old to his face," he replied with a smile. Hermione nodded in understanding and the lapsed into silence.

Thoughts were swirling around in Hermione's mind. She had so many questions and she knew she had a bit to explain herself. After ten minutes of contemplation and a heavy sigh, Hermione faced Murphy. "Where I went to school, in Scotland, I had two best friends. They were both boys, and they loved getting into trouble. I've spent the last seven years patching them up," she informed him softly, her eyes unfocused as she remembered all the scrapes they had been in and how much of an understatement she had just said.

Murphy didn't question her. She wasn't surprised. All it took to get Murphy in a sharing mood was to look at him much in the same way she looked at a book when she wanted its answers.

"My Da and my brother like to get into mischief too," he admitted quietly. "I go along with them, o'course, but there's only so much I can do." Murphy shrugged. "I've had worse injuries," he added, though that worried Hermione more than it soothed her.

Wordlessly, she grabbed a bar napkin and a pen, writing down her cell phone number. She passed it to him. "If you guys need bandaging again," she explained. She stood and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll come by and check the bandages tomorrow night." With that, Hermione walked out the door and back to her dorm room.

She was exhausted, mentally and physically. She hardly registered the unassuming tawny owl until it hooted shrilly. "I'm coming," she grumbled and took the letter off its leg. The owl flew off without a sound and Hermione fell into bed. Within seconds, she was fast asleep.


	5. Conversations

**A/N:** I don't own anything, as per usual :) Hope you guys enjoy it!

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_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

With a groan, Hermione rolled over and abruptly fell out of the twin sized bed. "Oomph," she huffed, hoisting herself up on her arms and blowing hair out of her face. She stood and shut the alarm off with a growl. "Why did I willingly set my alarm for 8am?" she muttered to herself as she gathered her toilette kit.

When she walked into the modest bathroom, she immediately turned the shower on to run, letting it warm. Then, she went about placing her things around one of the two sinks on the counter top. Within minutes, a warm steam filled the room and Hermione was stepping under the stream of water. Her clothes and wand lay in a pile under her sink.

Systematically, Hermione went through her shower ritual with ease, taking her time to enjoy the sensations that she hadn't enjoyed since before she left London. Her hair received a good scrub and rinse once Hermione was satisfied that it was cleaned to the best of her ability. Then she lathered the grime and filth from last night off her body with her favorite vanilla sugar micro body scrub. As she scrubbed, she remembered last night.

A shiver ran through her body at the thought, so she rinsed off and stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around herself, Hermione stood in front of the sink and began scrubbing her face with an herbal lather Neville had made her as a graduation present. She brushed her teeth after and then flossed. Some habits, she figured, would never leave her no matter how far from home she was.

With a flick of her wrist, her hair was dry and looking only slightly wavy. Another flick and the remaining moisture on her body was gone. With a smile to herself, she re-dressed in her pajamas and returned to her room. Tracy, it appeared, had already awoken and left.

Hermione walked over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a faded gray t-shirt that had a bit of a floral design in silver. She put on just a small amount of makeup, and then proceeded to slip into her favorite black flats. She threw her hair up into a quick ponytail and grabbed her shoulder bag and her cell phone. Moving over to the desk, she grabbed one of her notebooks and a few pencils, totally oblivious to the note sitting on her desk. It wasn't until she crinkled her nose at the smell of something burning that she realized the smell was coming from the area around her. Frantically, she began rifling through her things looking for the source.

Her fingers brushed by the edge of the letter and the heat stung her. "Ow!" she muttered quickly grabbing it and tossing it into the waste basket next to her desk. However, as soon as she had picked it up, it stopped emitting scorching heat. Curious, she peered into the waste basket and saw an envelope with her name written elegantly on a creme colored peice of parchment paper. "So I didn't dream that," she said to herself as she gingerly picked up the note. Her face turned white and then grim and determined as she read it.

_Mudblood  
__We will find you. We will kill you.  
In the name of the Dark Lord._

Scowling, Hermione duplicated the letter and put the original away so that she could show it to Harry. The duplicate she tossed back into the waste basket and lit it alight, satisfied to see the awful note disintegrating before her eyes. A knock startled her and she extinguished the flames quickly. Peggy walked in with an encouraging smile.

"Ready for your first day of classes?" she asked, books in hand. Hermione nodded and picked up her things once more.

"We've got Chemistry 256 together, right?" Hermione asked, double checking what she already had known to be true thanks to Tracy filling her in the other day. Peggy nodded.

"I'm going for a Food Science degree, but I've got to have tons of Chemistry classes. I'm surprised they're letting you into a Chem 256 class with you being a transfer and all," Peggy commented.

Hermione nodded and replied, "Yea. They gave me a proficiency test though. I aced out of 100 and 200 level courses, but I felt that I shouldn't miss two levels of Chemistry, so they let me take 256."

Peggy looked at her oddly, but they walked in silence to their classroom for the rest of the way. Hermione was grateful for the silence because it allowed her to think about just what to think of the note sent to her. _Who could send that to me?_ she asked herself. _Death Eaters, obviously. But why? I thought Ron and Harry and the rest of the Order had gotten rid of just about all of them. I know a few of them fled Britain, but they came to America?_ She pondered these questions as the Professor introduced himself and handed out the course materials. It was a fairly basic class as far as Hermione was concerned, so she allowed her mind to wander as she took notes.

Two hours later, the Professor let the students out and Hermione was still not any further in her speculations. Deciding to forget about it for the moment, she focused on Peggy leading her to the cafeteria. "We're meeting everyone else for lunch. Do you have any other classes today?" Peggy asked. Hermione shook her head in the negative. "Great! Want to check out the mall then?"

Hermione chuckled. "I'm more of a library kind of girl," she explained. Peggy just shrugged as they sat down with the rest of the group. Tracy looked somewhat shaken but managed to disguise it as being tired. Patty, Mikey, and Jimmy were talking easily about the Red Sox game last night. Hermione manuvered herself next to Tracy and whispered, "You okay?" Tracy nodded a bit hesitantly. She had a tray in front of her with a hamburger and french fries that looked as though they were barely touched. Tracy pushed the tray towards her, asking her silently to share. Hermione shrugged and began munching on the fries. She sat silently, intent on watching her new friends and the cafeteria around her. Two hours passed before Hermione decided to excuse herself and return to the dorm room.

Once she got there, she picked up the phone and dialed Harry's flat, grateful for the fact that she had insisted on installing it for him. It rang twice before she heard his voice on the other end. "Hey Harry," she greeted warmly.

"Hey Hermione. How's Boston so far?"

"It's pretty good. I met my room mate and her friends, and they're all really nice. I seem to have found two more guys that cause as much trouble as the two of you caused with Voldemort," she replied teasingly.

"Oh shush. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it out alive half the time!"

"That is true," Hermione chuckled. "Anyway, I got something that I think you should know about." Here, she paused and Harry sensed her worry.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's nothing really, but I got this note last night. I didn't read it because I was dead tired. So this morning, it started making my things give off this burning smell. When I touched it, the smell stopped, so I opened it. It was a threat." Hermione took a deep breath.

"What did it say?" Harry asked, barely controlling the emotions she knew he was feeling.

"It said, 'Mudblood, We will find you. We will kill you. In the name of the Dark Lord'," she whispered. She heard Harry growl.

"I'll take a look into it around here, alright? I'll get the word out around the Auror Department and see if we can open up a case file. I'm sending Hedwig to you so that she can bring me back the original note. You sure you're okay?" Hermione could hear the worry infused in his voice.

"I'm alright Harry," she replied soothingly. "I'm sure it's just some harmless prank. Besides, if I can tangle with Bellatrix and live to tell the tale, I think I can handle some lowly peon of a Death Eater," she added jokingly. Harry awarded her with a forced laugh. She would take what she could get.

"Really Harry, I'll be fine," she insisted.

"Alright, Herms. I just worry because I love you," Harry said quietly. Hermione wished that she could be able to hug him and comfort him.

"I'll be sure to keep in touch with you, alright Harry?" she added resassuringly.

"Alright, Hermione. Take care okay?"

"I will, promise."

"Bye Hermione."

"Talk to you soon Harry," Hermione replied before hanging up.

She sat on her bed for a long while after she hung up the phone. _Was it a good thing to tell Harry? Yes, it was. It's better than just ignoring the issue_, she reasoned with herself. Satisfied with that, she picked up her bag and emptied it. She filled it with her notebook full of the spells she wanted to put on McGuinty's, more medical supplies, and her wand. She quickly scribbled a note for Tracy and tacked in onto her desk. She left the building rather stealthily, but Hermione was taking no chances with being followed.

Within minutes she was once again walking through the door to McGuinty's. She wasn't greeted by anyone, so she figured the place was empty. She put her bag on the bar and pulled out her notes and her wand. She tied her hair up in a messy bun and set out adding the charms she had found. First to be done was an Anti-Spill charm on all the classes, as well as an Anti-Brake charm. To the floor and bar, she added an Anti-Stick Charm that would make cleaning up fairly easy since nothing would become stuck to the surfaces. A Strengthening Charm was added to most of the building, and an Anti-Leak charm was added to the taps on the bar. She gave the whole place a good _Scourfigy _and gave the wood a good polish and the bar was looking like new. Satisfied, she stuck her wand in her bun and began reviewing her notes to see what to do next when the door opened and Murphy walked in with Connor on his tail. They were talking in hushed tones and both boys seemed to be rather tense.

"Hey guys," Hermione said, walking over to them. They both flinched when she spoke and she saw Connor reach inside his jacket pocket before he saw who she was. They both relaxed slightly and glared at her.

"What're ye doin' here?" Connor asked with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I just came by to check on Murphy's wound," she replied, stuffing her things back into her backpack and pulling out the medical supplies. "Since I got here before you guys did, and since you left the door open, I cleaned up a bit in here," she added, gesturing around the room.

"It does look a bit cleaner, now that ya mention it," Murphy replied, unable to help himself from ruffling her feathers. Hermione, however, just smiled.

"Back room?" she asked. Murphy nodded and led the way back to a smaller office type room that Hermione hadn't seen before. "Sit," she said, pointing to the stool. She would need to be able to move around him easily in order to reapply the gauze. He sat and stripped his shirt off, wincing as he did it. Hermione cut the gauze and began unwrapping it, exposing the bandage colored red from the blood that had dried against it. Hermione quickly peeled off the bandage as Murphy grunted, and examined his injury once more. After looking at it closely, she confirmed that her first guess was right. Murphy had been shot at. She glanced up at him, only to meet his inquisitive brown eyes. Hermione blushed and looked back at the wound. Without a word, she took a sterile pad and soaked it with some of the rubbing alcohol. Gently, she pressed it to his wound and began cleaning away the dried blood, though she was careful enough to not disturb the scabbing. She applied more antiseptic ointment and gave him a fresh bandage. She chose not to wrap him with the gauze, but instead to tape the bandage more securely in place with medical tape.

"All done," she proclaimed, standing up to examine her handiwork.

Murphy grunted in recognition and pulled his shirt back on. "Thanks," he replied. Hermione shrugged.

"It's no big deal. I'm glad I could help," she replied, gathering all the supplies together and putting them in her backpack again. She and Murphy walked back out to the main area to find Connor nursing a glass of whiskey. Hermione and Murphy exchanged glances before Hermione decided it was time for her to go. "I'll see you guys around," she said as she waved and walked out of McGuinty's. The boys had waved in return, and started talking. Hermione had only heard the words "Central Square" and "Mafia hangout." Unsure of what exactly she heard, Hermione forgot all aboutit and decided to walk around Boston for a while.

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**A/N** Next installment might not be quite so long, but I can guarantee that our Hermione will meet the infamous Saints of South Boston :) Please Review!!


	6. it's ILLEGAL!

**A/N** - I don't own anything :) Rate/Review please!

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Hermione wandered along the streets of Boston aimlessly. She passed restaraunts, grocery stores, clothing stores, businesses, and other bars. Run down apartments dotted both sides of the crowded street and Hermione was grateful that she was able to live more comfortably. As she walked, she became more aware of her surroundings. She could hear the household sounds from above her and could feel the vibrations of cars passing by. Muffled footsteps would fall into step behind her, but each time she looked back it was a mother with her children or a teenager bogged down by groceries.

By around 9pm, Hermione found herself amidst a crowd of college kids and businessmen out for a night of drinking. She followed the people to this street lined with bars. Curious, she entered the first one. It was much like McGuinty's, except seedier somehow. She felt eyes on her and felt very uncomfortable. Within minutes, Hermione was out the door and headed to the next one.

This bar, called The Kinsale, looked much better. The entire atmosphere of the bar immediately calmed her nerves. She took a seat at the busy bar and ordered an Angry Irishman. The bartender smiled warmly at her and hurried to get her drink. Hermione took the opportunity to look around the bar. The people seemed to be having pleasant evenings and they didn't look at all troublesome, except for a small table in a shady corner. Hermione tried to get a better look. She could make out about eight men, built as though they were bodyguards. She had a feeling they were tattooed up. They were drinking raucously as well. Putting them to the back of her mind, she turned back to the bartender and began enjoying her drink.

The bartender kept her glass full throughout the night and kept the crazier guys away from her. As it turned out, the bartender, Bill, was from Dover, England. He relished being able to talk to Hermione about things going on in England even though he hadn't been there in years. Between conversing with Bill and people-watching, Hermione failed to notice when one of the rather large men from the back table came to sit beside her. He casually draped his arm around her and leaned against her. Bill, unfortunately was at the other end of the bar dealing with an angry customer.

"Get off me," Hermione growled, reaching up to shove his arm off her.

"Not so fast," the man replied in a deep voice, grabbing her wrist easily. "You're coming with me little lady," he added, breathing against her ear. She shuddered and made a face. "Come on," he demanded, pulling her off the stool as he stood. He kept his arm around her and led her out of the bar and into a darkened alley.

_Great, just like in a bad movie_, Hermione thought to herself. _What am I going to do? He's a muggle, so no magic...._her thoughts swirled around as the man pushed her up against the wall roughly. Her eyes widened and she attempted to kick him between the legs but he saw her attempt and easily pushed her against the wall again.

"None of that, missy," the man growled, pulling her hair into one of his fists and pulling her head to the side so that he could suck at her neck. Hermione could feel the tears building in her eyes but shut them tight and bit her lip, doing her best to not let them fall. The man's other hand wandered down her chest and pushed her shirt up, roughly fondling her breast. Hermione winced, wishing he would just get on with it.

In the next instant, the man was on the other end of the alley facing the wall on his knees. Two figures were behind him of similar build dressed in all black and wearing what looked to be black ski masks and were each holding a gun to the man's head. They were whispering some sort of prayer that Hermione could barely make out.

"Wait! What are you doing?!?!" Hermione screamed, scrambling up. She stumbled back at the sound of two shots going off. "How could you...Why did you..." Hermione was at a loss for words. She let her tears fall freely as she fell to the ground. The two figures turned around at the noise, aiming their guns at her, but Hermione failed to notice in her hysterics.

The two men looked at each other before one of them knelt down next to Hermione. "Lass, ya need ta get up," he said soothing, gently reaching his arm around her to help lift her to her feet. Hermione clung to him, unsure of why she felt safe with these two men who just killed someone, never mind the fact that said man was going to rape her.

"No, no. You…you just…and you!" Hermione wasn't very articulate, which only frustrated her even more. "Get away from me!" she screamed, pushing the man away and stumbling back towards where her wand lay on the floor of the alley. "Accio wand!" she called and felt calmer as the thin piece of wood landed in her outstretched palm. She turned to face the two men huffing slightly and glaring angrily.

"We mean ya no harm, lass," one said, taking a step towards her.

"Do NOT call me _lass_!" she screamed, stomping her foot. "What is it with you muggles calling me _lass_? I'm a girl, a bird, a female, not a bloody lass!" Hermione was advancing on the two boys now, growling. "You two had better quit whatever it is that you're doing because it's ILLEGAL. I swear if I see the two of you again I will hex you so badly that you'll bloody feel it into next week!" At this point, Hermione managed to regain her composure. She pushed her hair back out of her eyes and fixed her clothing. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I am getting back to my friends," she added walking past the two men.

She turned the corner and headed over to the next alley before Apparating to an equally deserted alley closer to Northeastern. Had she stuck around for a few minutes longer, she would have heard raucous laughter of two boys who were very familiar to Hermione.

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Many thanks to everyone who's been reviewing!


	7. Connect the Dots

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long between updates. It seems I caught whatever bug that's been traveling around. I'll hopefully update Monkey Wrench by the end of the week :) Rate and Review, and remember, I don't own anything!!

"_Faith is a gift I have yet to receive."_  
-Robert Langdon, _Angels and Demons_

Hermione walked into McGuinty's hoping to find her friends and she was not disappointed. Tracy was behind the bar mixing drinks with an easy smile on her face and Patty and Peggy were waitressing the tables around the walls. Mikey and Jimmy were currently winning a game of pool by the looks of it. She sighed with relief and plopped down at the end of the bar. Tracy saw her and brought over a coke for her to drink. Hermione spent a good hour just watching people come in and out of the bar.

"Where's Murphy and Connor?" Hermione asked Tracy as she refilled her glass.

Tracy shrugged and replied, "They should be back in a bit. They said they had some business to take care of up in Central Square." It was getting rather late and Hermione wanted to leave, but she also wanted to check on Murphy's injury tonight.

It was near 2 am when Hermione decided she wasn't waiting for Murphy any longer. She left some money for Tracy on the bar and waved goodbye to her friends. Just as she pulled the door open, Murphy and Connor walked in.

"Hey guys," she said, holding the door open and stepping to the side so they could walk in. They nodded in greeting and walked right past her, headed straight for the back. They were wearing all black and they looked a little worse for wear, almost as if they had gotten into a fight. Hermione rolled her eyes and followed the two of them. They entered the office talking in hushed tones and glancing back at Hermione every once and a while. She got the feeling they were talking about her. "Murphy, you want me to look at that wound? Make sure you didn't open it up again with whatever tomfoolery you two got up to tonight?"

Murphy turned to face her. He looked her up and down and paused, gazing somewhat contemplatively at the top of her head where her wand held her hair back securely. Hermione felt uncomfortable and shifted from side to side until Connor coughed. Murphy shook his head. "Nah, I'm good for now. Thanks."

Hermione shrugged and walked back out to the bar where Tracy was wiping down the bar. "Leaving?" she asked her roommate. Tracy nodded so she waited for her friend to close down the bar and the pair of them left together. On the way to the dorm room, Hermione told Tracy about what had happened earlier that night.

"Wow, Herm. You're mad lucky! You got saved by the Saints!" Tracy was in awe, something Hermione couldn't understand.

"Who?" she asked.

"The Saints. It was this big thing a couple years ago with a string of murders of all mobsters in the South Boston area. They moved on to New York and then to Chicago and LA. No one thought they were coming back. Did they say that creepy prayer?" Tracy was bursting with curiousity.

"Clearly you're not all that concerned that these murderers are going free?" Hermione asked.

Tracy shrugged. "It's not like they kill people who don't deserve it. They're doing a public service if you ask me," she replied. Hermione pondered this as they entered their building and made it up to their room. She could see the similarities between what these Saints were doing and what she did with the Order of the Phoenix.

"No one knows who they are?" she asked, curious as to why even the police wouldn't have tried to find out.

"Nope. There was one guy, an FBI Agent Smecker, that was around when the Saints first surfaced. Come to think of it, the Saints came around after Murph and Conn went through that whole thing with the Russians," Tracy replied contemplatively.

"What?" Hermione asked incredulously. "What thing with the Russians?"

"Oh, well they got into a bit of a bar fight and these two Russian guys got their asses seriously kicked and they went looked for the guys the next day. Needless to say, Murphy and Connor know how to take care of themselves. The Russian guys were found dead in the alley behind where the boys live and it was Smecker that let them go seeing as how they were acting in self defense."

"Hmmm. That's interesting. And you say the first murders of all the mobsters happened after that?" Hermione asked.

"Yep. It was like nine of the top Russian guys that turned up dead in this hotel room maybe a day or two after the guys were let off," Tracy explained as she changed into her pajamas. Hermione also got herself ready for bed. The lights were turned off and both girls fell asleep, though Hermione didn't sleep as peacefully as Tracy did.

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For the rest of the week, Hermione juggled classes, homework, and research. _Thank Merlin for learning how to do this at Hogwarts_, she thought to herself as she thumbed through newspaper clippings on the Saints of South Boston. She was looking for anything that might connect the guys to the two murderers that saved her the other night.

_I really should stop referring to them as murderers_, she chided herself. _But that's what they do! They kill people_, she argued with herself. _You did it too, remember? Do you really want to rehash everything you worked through to get over the fact that you killed people?_ That thought certainly shut her brain up. She most certainly did not want to remember the war.

Her research yielded little results. The Saints were so named for the prayer that they say before they execute their victims, ending in the traditional Latin. There were two young men and one older man. There was an account from an eye witness at the trial for Giuseppe "Papa Joe" Yakavetta, on trial for the third time and predicted to get off. The Saints had not worn masks apparently, and included in the newspaper were three sketches of what the witnesses described the men looking like. Hermione copied them and took them back with her to the dorm.

She finished up her homework in just a few hours and when Tracy returned after her last class, the two of them met up with Peggy, Patty, Mikey, and Jimmy and they all went over to McGuinty's. The boys weren't there yet, but Tracy had a key so they all went in. Mikey and Jimmy headed straight for the pool table and Hermione helped the girls get the bar ready for opening.

Murphy walked in, followed shortly by his brother and the older looking man that Hermione was able to identify as the boys' father. She waved in greeting and returned to wiping down the bar, plotting her move to reveal what she knew. The boys would be able to help her, she was sure. If she knew anything about Death Eaters, and she knew plenty, they wouldn't stop until she was dead. That, of course, would not be happening.

Luckily, her opening came sooner than she expected. Peggy and Patty had gotten dirty washing dishes and insisted they go back to the dorms to change. Their boyfriends accompanied them, and Tracy was in the back attempting to straighten up the office.

"_And Shepards we shall be, for Thee My Lord for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall-_"

"What are ye doin'?" Murphy growled, having moved to the bar area and gripped her by the shoulders, bringing her nose to nose with him.

"I'm reciting a family prayer I found," she replied nonchalantly. She was afraid, but she wasn't about to let them know that.

"And where'd ya find this prayer?"

"Some guy, a Smecker, had it posted on his blog. It was from ages ago, but it sounded so pretty. I've been trying to memorize it ever since I figured out you three were the Saints," Hermione replied, shocking Murphy enough to get him to let go of her. "That's what I thought." She smirked triumphantly.

"Gloat all ye want, lass. We know you're not all that normal either, ain't that right?" Connor asked slyly.

Hermione responded by pulling her wand free from its holster and waving it, levitating Murphy a few feet in the air.

"Let me down! He said it!" He wasn't very happy with her. Hermione grinned and released the spell, letting Murphy fall flat on his ass. "Ow," he added unnecessarily as he stood, rubbing his backside. Hermione gave him an unapologetic look.

"Now that we've got that cleared up," she started, sliding her wand back into its holster, "can we move on?" She gave all three men a look.

"Sure thing, lass," Connor replied, taking a seat at the bar. "Pour us a drink and we'll chat." Hermione rolled her eyes but dutifully poured all three men a glass of beer and poured herself a coke. "What'd ya want ta chat about?"

"I need some help," she replied uncertainly. "Remember how I said I had a history of cleaning up scrapes the other week?" All three men nodded. "Well, back in England, there was a war in the magical community. I fought with the Order of the Phoenix against the Death Eaters. We killed most of the Death Eaters, but a dozen or so were imprisoned and a few fled the country. Apparently, they decided to settle in Boston seeing as how I got a threatening letter last week," she explained. "My two best friends are Aurors, like magical police officers, and my one friend, Harry; he killed the head of the Death Eaters. Of course, they're worried like crazy that I'm in danger, but I've been in danger since I was 11 years old. I figure we could help each other out," she concluded.

"We're listening," their father said, taking a long sip of beer. Hermione nodded and outlined what she thought was a pretty good agreement. She would patch them up the magical way, which would be much more efficient than bandages. She offered to make potions that would help them heal and stay at the top of their health. In return, Hermione wanted their help in finding this ring of Death Eaters and she wanted in on their extermination.

The three men looked at each other for a moment and each of them drained their cups. "We're in," they replied in unison. Hermione beamed and refilled their glasses just as Tracy came back grumbling about how messy boys are.


End file.
